Suspect in Daniel Pearl's murder brought to court

An Islamic militant, suspected in the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, was brought before a judge yesterday.

He was informed he already faces the death penalty for the killing of six minority Shi'ite Muslims.

Qari Abdul Hai, the alleged leader of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group, was convicted in absentia for those crimes in 1998.

Hai was brought to the court yesterday in Dera Ghazi Khan, about 100 kilometres west of Multan, with a sheet over his head and in handcuffs.

Multan police official Awais Malik said the judge asked Hai to verify his identity, and then informed him of the death sentence against him. ");document.write("

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Hai's death sentence stems from his role in a 1994 shooting at a Shi'ite mosque in which six people were killed.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is blamed for involvement in the killing of hundreds of Shi'ite Muslims.

Hai is also suspected of helping plan the kidnapping of Pearl, but has not yet been charged in that case.

Death sentences are carried out by hanging in Pakistan and Hai can appeal against his conviction.

Hai, who had been on the run since the attack, was arrested on Thursday in Muzaffargarh, near Multan, as he tried to board a bus for the southern city of Karachi.

Four Islamic militants were convicted last year of involvement in the kidnap-slaying of Pearl. One of them, British-born Islamic militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, was sentenced to death, and the other three were given life sentences.